ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, October 31, 2013
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
GREEK LIFE
ALL OF THE LIGHTS
Theta Xi’s racialized party plans draw ire Students file complaints with administration By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Daily Staff Reporter
LILY ANGELL/Daily
A University employee hangs lights on trees at Ingalls Mall Wednesday in preparation for the launch party for the University’s next fundraising campaign, Victors for Michigan. Thousands of lights will be put up around the Diag and Ingalls Mall in anticipation of the Nov. 8 kickoff.
CAMPUS LIFE
SAAN talks domestic violence County SafeHouse intern discusses types of abuse
Hall Wednesday night, captivated the audience with a simple line: “Domestic violence does not discriminate.” González is an intern at the SafeHouse Center, which provides support for Washtenaw County victims of domestic violence. González and a colleague led a discussion Wednesday about domestic violence and the importance of educating the community on the epidemic.
By CARLY FROMM Daily Staff Reporter
Social Work graduate student Krysten González, standing in a huddled group of about 20 students in East Quad Residence
The event was sponsored by the South Asian Awareness Network, in observation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The talk focused on different types of abuse — verbal, emotional, economic, sexual and physical — and how individuals can cope with abuse. “The most at-risk age group for women is ages 16 through 24, and that’s a lot of undergraduates — even some graduate stu-
DEFENSE!
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG internship program gears up for new year Interns are given opportunities not available to other freshmen in gov’t By PAULA FRIEDRICH Daily Staff Reporter
Central Student Government’s internship program is gearing up for another year. The goal of the program is to give motivated freshmen a chance to hone their leadership skills, get involved quickly and have a “big picture” view of CSG. The program was cut in 2007, but Manish Parikh, then CSG president, revived it in 2012. CSG President Michael Proppe said the intern experience is something that is usually only accessible through the Executive Commission or the General Assembly, both of which aren’t open to freshmen. Proppe said the program
was scaled down considerably from last year to create a more valuable experience for interns. The program has shifted from 24 interns to eight interns, each with an executive officer to help ease their workload. Proppe said the program also benefits interns by giving them responsibility early in their CSG careers, along with taking some of the research load off of himself. LSA sophomore Bryan Frederick said without the internship program he would never have gotten involved with CSG. “I wouldn’t know what the heck CSG is,” Frederick said. “I think that’s the reality of a lot of freshmen. They don’t know what CSG stands for or they just don’t know how to get involved.” Frederick was part of last year’s intern outreach team, which has since turned into a commission that he chairs. He said the intern program gave him “the guts” to do See CSG, Page 5A
dents — so it’s really important to get the message out there: what this is, what you can do and what resources are available to you,” González said. LSA junior Shaina Shetty, education and outreach co-chair of SAAN, emphasized the importance of a safe space for discussion. “The goal behind the workshop series as a whole is to proSee SAAN, Page 5A
An investigation has been launched into the University’s chapter of the Theta Xi fraternity after several students filed formal complaints with the University administration regarding the fraternity’s nowcancelled plans to host a party with a “ratchet” theme next Thursday. Many students of color say they were personally offended by the invitation that was sent via Facebook, complaining that it parodied Black culture and offended women, referring to twerking contests, “bad bitches,” gang references and repeated use of the word “ratchet.” Early Thursday morning, Theta Xi members said the fraternity won’t be comment-
ing on the matter. Fraternity brothers were camped out on the Diag for their annual “Defend the Diag” ritual. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones, who lodged a formal complaint with the fraternity, said the University responded immediately and took student complaints very seriously. Jones held a meeting yesterday with the Greek Life Director Mary Beth Seiler, Interfraternity Council leaders and LSA senior Eric Quang, Theta Xi’s president. The University also reached out to Theta Xi’s national board, whose members expressed concern and are conducting their own investigation. The administration made it clear that the party will not be allowed to take place on Nov. 7, and Theta Xi’s national headquarters has determined all further social events will be suspended until their investigations are concluded. “It was very important that See PARTY, Page 5A
ANN ARBOR
Student runs for A2 council with focus on zoning reform Running with Mixed Use Party, LSA senior hopes to clinch Ward 2 ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Students participate in Theta Xi fraternity’s Defend the Diag ritual Wednesday. Members of the fraternity set up couches around the Block ‘M’ and had a raffle to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research.
ACADEMICS
$2M Info School initiative to boost student outreach Funds will support service projects, global impact By JENNIFER CALFAS Daily Staff Reporter
With just a week left before the launch of the University’s next fundraising campaign on
Nov. 8, the School of Information has a new endeavor of its own. The school’s Initiative for Information Impact, announced Monday, aims to establish new programs and enhance existing ones to engage more University students in information and technology related service projects. The $2-million
program will sponsor projects that put experience and interdisciplinary to work to improve quality of life for people around the world. Funded from a variety of outlets — including the school’s general fund budget, gifts, faculty donations and fundraising — the initiative introduces a host of new proSee INITIATIVE, Page 5A
By MATTHEW JACKONEN Daily Staff Reporter
The Mixed Use Party is shaking up Ann Arbor’s Ward 2 elections this November. LSA senior Conrad Brown, running for City Council as an independent, hopes to be a force to be reckoned with against independent incumbent Jane Lumm and Democratic challenger Kirk Westphal. Brown, along with the rest of the Mixed Use Party, bases his platform on concepts of fiscal conservatism and “classical liberalism.” “We are a political party that started in order to address some of these fundamental issues facing the city of Ann Arbor that in most ways our current and past city leaders have failed to address,” Brown said. “We are trying to offer some real reforms to address these issues, such as reforming the See REFORM, Page 5A
the halloween b-side A look behind the scenes of a local haunted house.
» INSIDE WEATHER TOMORROW
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 20 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B